Effective Scheduling

The Secret To Work-Life Balance

The ability to create and keep effective schedules is not highly regarded. It’s not often a compliment one hears or makes about a colleague or coworker. That isn’t to say it has no value or importance. Rather, it is an ability that is associated with characteristics — like "accountable," "responsible" and "dependable" — that will serve you well throughout your entire career.

In developing the ability of effective scheduling, the usefulness of tools like iPads is not in dispute, but neither is the inability of these tools to execute your workday. In order to align your busy schedule as it is on paper with the inexactitude of reality, adhere to the following tips for effective scheduling.

Prepare and clarify your objectives

Carefully consider your objectives for events such as meetings beforehand, noting precisely what you want to accomplish and what questions you may need to ask. Doing so will allow you to allot the right amount of time to events in your schedule. When you arrive to the meeting, clarify these objectives by making them known to others.

Always be punctual

Make it a priority to be on time and seek to develop a reputation for punctuality. Few reputations will precede you more effectively or say more good things about your professional persona than an adherence and dedication to punctuality. This doesn’t mean arriving exactly on the hour or demanding that others do so as well; rather, it’s a function of your reliability. It shows you can manage a busy schedule, that you respect the time and attention of others and that you insist upon the same.

Be realistic

Time is the ultimate factor here, so making an unrealistic assessment of even one meeting or event can throw off the remainder of your schedule and, consequently, your entire day. Furthermore, while it would be nice to dispatch with certain unpleasant appointments quickly, you can’t make out your schedule this way. In other words, learn to schedule realistically, not ideally. Make an estimate on the time, then add 10% to 20% on top of that to allow for travel, drawn-out meetings, etc.

Send confirmations

A schedule that includes meetings and appointments with other people takes a bit of control out of your hands and puts its efficiency in jeopardy. One step to take back some of that control is to send email reminders the day before or the morning of in order to confirm your meetings with all those involved. It will also help you reschedule in the event of cancellations.